SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF PAIR PRODUCTION OVER THE PULSAR POLAR CAP

Journal Article · Thu Oct 20 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/830/2/119· OSTI ID:22667324

Belyaev, Mikhail A. ^[1]; Parfrey, Kyle ^[2]

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1. Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

Using an analytic, axisymmetric approach that includes general relativity, coupled to a condition for pair production deduced from simulations, we derive general results about the spatial distribution of pair-producing field lines over the pulsar polar cap. In particular, we show that pair production on magnetic field lines operates over only a fraction of the polar cap for an aligned rotator for general magnetic field configurations, assuming the magnetic field varies spatially on a scale that is larger than the size of the polar cap. We compare our result to force-free simulations of a pulsar with a dipole surface field and find excellent agreement. Our work has implications for first-principles simulations of pulsar magnetospheres and for explaining observations of pulsed radio and high-energy emission.

• OSTI ID: 22667324
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 830; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
AXIAL SYMMETRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DIPOLES
EMISSION
GENERAL RELATIVITY THEORY
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PAIR PRODUCTION
PLASMA
PULSARS
PULSES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SURFACES